'New' savage capitalism: Anatomy of a disaster in Anatolia

CYANIDE DIARIES FROM BERGAMA-13

The horrific environmental disaster in Erzincan-İliç, which resulted in the deaths of 9 people buried under cyanide-laced waste, along with other living creatures, is not a coincidence, an accident, or a case resulting from mere negligence.

Scientific warnings dating back nearly 25 years, along with statements and debates regarding massacres that have occurred around the world, were the harbingers of these deaths.

In this context, in the 1990s, the villagers of Bergama—mothers and sisters—cried out in protest.

They drew attention with their peaceful actions and succeeded in making their voices heard.

They struggled to convey the negative findings identified by scientists to public/state officials.

Location: Bergama-Çamköy, Year: 1990

***

In this environment, the EUROGOLD company appeared on the scene in Bergama for the first time in 1989.

EUROGOLD initially belonged to the Australian-based ACM (Australian Consolidated Company), which would later acquire it. This company would later be known as NORMANDY.

This company was one of the arms of the "Cyanide Octopus" that wrapped its tentacles around the world.

It purchased the rights to the Bergama-Ovacık gold ore deposit from the ESAN company, which is affiliated with the Turkish ECZACIBAŞI HOLDING, through a "royalty" agreement.

Geological Engineer Ali Vedat Oygür, who served as a consultant at the Ministry of State Responsible for Mining between 1996-98, and later worked as the Environment and Corporate Communications Manager at KOZA GOLD Enterprises' mining sites and subsequently at the company headquarters between 2005-2011, provides interesting information:

"When I asked the late İhsan Sezer, who was retired and serving as the Raw Materials Manager for the ECZACIBAŞI-ESAN company after working as the gold service chief at the MTA (the state's Mineral Research and Exploration Institute), whether they were aware that these quartz veins (in Bergama-Ovacık) contained gold, he said, 'I knew very well, but I couldn't convince the boss to get into this business.'"

(As is known, the Bergama Gold Mine belonged to the KOZA GOLD company owned by Akın İpek.)

Akın İpek was accused of "Membership in the FETÖ/Parallel State Structure, opposition to the Law on Financing Terrorism, Attempting to Overthrow the Constitutional Order, and Laundering Assets Derived from Crime."

 (The KOZA GOLD company was seized by the TMSF (the State) in 2015.)

In other words, around 1998, while technocrats like Ali Vedat Oygür, who held high-level positions at the state institution MTA, should have been active or even pioneers on behalf of the public in this matter, it appears they were instead informing big capital that there was abundant gold in this mining area and suggesting that the company take on the project.

Some state officials, instead of trying to convince higher-level public authorities to have the mine operated by the public if the project was so important, were rushing to provide information to big capital.

However, those who presented this unofficial offer to the ECZACIBAŞI official learned from the holding's owner, Bülent Eczacıbaşı, that he "did not want to get into this business."

ECZACIBAŞI HOLDING transferred the mining rights in Bergama-Ovacık to the Australian company via a "royalty" method.

This method is "transferring the operating rights of a mining license area to another person or organization for a certain period via a contract, provided that the original rights holder retains ownership."

It is a form of leasing. In other words, ECZACIBAŞI is the actual owner of the cyanide mine; however, it transferred the operating rights to the Australian company.

According to this contract, the "tenant" pays a pre-determined fee to the license holder for every ton of ore produced.

ECZACIBAŞI, likely foreseeing that this business would turn sour, did not enter it directly; instead, it chose to collect rent.

I wonder how much of a share it received and how much tax it paid without getting its hands dirty until today?

What a beautiful system we are in!

Making money without lifting a finger!

These must be the blessings of capitalism!

***

After obtaining the mining license, the EUROGOLD company turned its focus heavily toward Bergama.

The ACM company, which is the actual owner of EUROGOLD, belongs to the US-based NEWMONT MINING company, one of the largest mining organizations in the world.

In other words, there is American capital behind the Australian-looking company trying to infiltrate Anatolia via Bergama.

NEWMONT, which owns dozens of mining companies worldwide and is led by CEO Tom Palmer, is the center of this great "cyanide octopus."

 This company, appearing Australian but actually backed by American capital, while trying to obtain an operating permit in Ankara, also began purchasing the lands where they would establish the facility that would cyanide the soil and dig the pit where they would store toxic waste, within the borders of Bergama's Ovacık, Çamköy, and Narlıca villages, using its massive financial power.

An area of approximately 50 hectares was purchased from the local people by paying more than its value, through one-on-one meetings with the owners, without any major problems.

You have to spend money to make money!

Only the title deed of one field, because it remained in the middle of the toxic waste dam and belonged to many partners, was purchased not face-to-face but through a "real estate broker."

These were not enough!

The relocation of the Ovacık Village cemetery, which was determined to remain within the open-pit boundaries, was ensured by obtaining legal permits(!). A new cemetery was built.

There is no rest even for the dead of the Bergama villagers!

While the vast majority of the living villagers opposed the cyanide users, how the village legal entity was convinced on this matter remains a mystery.

 (Bergama-Ovacık Village)

Meanwhile, things in Ankara were proceeding in favor of the cyanide users.

The allocation of agricultural lands for mining activities took place in 1991 with the permission of the General Directorate of Rural Services.

In 1992, the General Directorate of Forestry granted the allocation of forest land located in the mining area to the company.

Long-term usage agreements were also made for lands belonging to the village legal entity and foundations.

It was as if the cyanide company had been told, "Go ahead, my servant."

Looking at it with good intentions, those who told the cyanide users to "go ahead" were probably unaware that they were destroying the country's future for a handful of gold!

However, the duty of those working on behalf of the public and the people should be not to let tons of poison be sown into the soil.

***

Later, the ACM company, which entered Turkey in 1989 under the name EUROGOLD and was owned by the US-based NEWMONT company, was purchased by the NORMANDY company, which also appeared Australian.

This company also added the word POSEIDON to the end of its name.

POSEIDON is the god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses in ancient Aegean belief.

They probably thought they would make "cyanide" more polite this way.

Big American capital set foot on Bergama soil through such convoluted relationships and names.

There is no place left that American power, which has turned into imperialism, has not reached or attempted to bring under its sphere of influence.

In fact, in 2001, this big American boss, NEWMONT, intervened directly and purchased the entire NORMANDY company under its own name.

The discovery of cyanide mining sites in more than 500 places in Anatolia has whetted the appetites of cyanide companies around the world!

While all these schemes were being plotted and traps were being set for Anatolia, our quiet and dignified people—except for the people of Bergama—were unaware of anything.

On February 24, 2024, the relatives of our people who would die under millions of kilos of toxic soil at the cyanide gold mine in Erzincan-İliç would be told, "It was their fate."

(Uğur Yıldız, who died in the toxic mine in Erzincan, and his funeral prayer)

According to his wife's statement, the family would be offered "blood money" as a "hush money" for Uğur Yıldız, who died in the cyanide mine in Erzincan.

The environmental murder would be called an "accident"!

The fish poisoned in the streams of Fatsa and the magnificent fir trees cut down in the Kaz Mountains would wait for their fate like sacrificial sheep.

The world's giant companies see Bergama as a springboard to reach these regions and conquer Anatolia.

With the financial power they possess and the positions they use, or the influence of local collaborators who are partners with them, they attack those who protect their environment with all their might.

They will fight tooth and nail against those who have something to say against such toxic operations, use every method, and practically declare war.

Violence, slander, and bribery are the tools used!

This is what "new savage capitalism" is! Although the old one wasn't any different!

This is how what has happened and what will happen to Turkey with this type of mining starts to run, not just walk.

Eyes are closed and lips are silent in Ankara!

People are resisting on the roads!

(Sources: (https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1164727/000119312508035169/dex21.htm) // Turkish Miners Association Sector News, 2017, Issue 68, pages: 82-93./// İbrahim Gündüz: Golden Death. ///Sefa Taşkın. The Cyanide Octopus. ///https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbZeR1iYyLI)

Sefa Taşkın

13.04.2025

Karşıyaka/İzmir